Visitors to Birch Eco Cottage occasionally leave small items behind intentionally. Usually because they are travelling on and don’t have room in their luggage. We were surprised then, to find that newlyweds from Vermont, Marianne and Derreck had decided to...

As always here at Lackan Cottage Farm, it was people who made the year memorable, and helped us to achieve so much. A huge thank you to all the volunteers who came and gave their time – it was a pleasure to meet you all, and great new friends have been made. To...

Friday was an interesting day, as we got up at the crack of dawn to welcome a little film crew from the BBC to the farm and they wanted to start at 8am. It is part of a programme about housing, and our bit is (hopefully) how modern technology can combine with traditional materials and methods. Being new to this filming lark, we basically did what we were told, and pottered about while Steven the cameraman and Richard the producer followed us around the place…

The year is coming to an end with mercifully dry and cold weather, the horses are sporting their thick winter coats, and we are enjoying some amazing views across to the mountains. Last night we were officially the coldest spot in the UK, with the thermometer...

I answered a forum post the other day that asked about how to get a polytunnel on a budget. I won’t go over how useful polytunnels are here – it’s been covered a million times elsewhere. Needless to say that if you are growing your own veg, they are...

Sometimes I walk outside and am in awe of the sights that greet me. Some of the most beautiful times are first thing in the morning as the sun is coming up and the mist is clearing. I honestly couldn’t live anywhere else. Even without their...